Polandhttp://www.thejc.com/news/topics/poland
The taxonomy view with a depth of 0.enDark secrets of a Polish tourist meccahttp://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/131394/dark-secrets-a-polish-tourist-mecca
<p>Antisemitic graffiti is sadly a common sight on Polish streets. Some of the language is directed at football teams; in other cases, it is aimed at Jews. </p>
<p>However, in the past few weeks in Krakow, the problem has moved up a gear. Walls and houses across the city have been hit with a wave of antisemitic daubings, and the messages, such as “Jews to the oven”, have been particularly vicious.</p>
<p>In attempt to find what the Polish authorities are doing about it, I sent a series of questions — in English — to Krakow’s police force, the city civil guard, the local municipality and the general prosecutor’s office. </p>
<p>The police spokesman responded in Polish. He wrote: “Dear Sir, we would like to inform you that the official language in Poland is Polish. Therefore, you are required to send your inquiry in Polish.” </p>
<p>The municipality, the civil guard and the Polish prosecutor’s office did not respond. None found the issue important enough, and were not even interested in finding out where the words “Jews to the oven” was sprayed so that they could delete it. </p>
<p>Paulina Sawicka is one of the heads of the Open Republic association that fights antisemitism and xenophobia. “I consider the Kraków’s police spokesman’s answer ridiculous,” she said. However, she said it did not surprise her. “When the law is broken, we notify the prosecutor’s office. Unfortunately, all too often, here too we do not get support. Sometimes the reactions of prosecutors raise eyebrows.” Ms Sawicka gave further examples of the way the Polish authorities treat antisemitism. “A Court in Opole discontinued proceedings against a law school graduate accused of profiting from fascist publications and gadgets, because a sentence would harm his legal career. The prosecutor’s office in Wroclaw allowed the publication of the Polish translation of Mein Kampf, accepting the explanation of the publisher that selling the book served a ‘scientific purpose’. The slogan ‘we will chase the Jews out of Poland’ was not considered incitement because it did not use the form ‘let’s’. And a swastika was allowed because it was characterised as an ancient Indian symbol.”</p>
<p>Rafal Pankowski, from the Polish anti-racism organisation Never again, agrees that the Polish authorities have still a long way to go in the fight against antisemitism. “The authorities have made some good efforts to prosecute hate crime in the last years, but they have often been half-baked. A much more thorough and concerted effort is needed. In many cases, the perpetrators go unpunished. We think the Polish legal provisions are more or less satisfactory. The problem has been the implementation of these provisions, which is often disappointing.”</p>World newsAntisemitismPoland131394storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/Krakow.jpg

802How a royal gift gave the Krakow community a new beating heart117300William Hague pledges to push Poland on Holocaust restitution
Antisemitic graffiti is sadly a common sight on Polish streets. Some of the language is directed at football teams; in other cases, it is aimed at Jews.
However, in the past few weeks in Krakow, the problem has moved up a gear. Walls and houses across the city have been hit with a wave of antisemitic daubings, and the messages, such as “Jews to the oven”, have been particularly vicious.
In attempt to find what the Polish authorities are doing about it, I sent a series of questions — in English — to Krakow’s police force, the city civil guard, the local municipality and the general prosecutor’s office.
The police spokesman responded in Polish. He wrote: “Dear Sir, we would like to inform you that the official language in Poland is Polish. Therefore, you are required to send your inquiry in Polish.”
The municipality, the civil guard and the Polish prosecutor’s office did not respond. None found the issue important enough, and were not even interested in finding out where the words “Jews to the oven” was sprayed so that they could delete it.
Paulina Sawicka is one of the heads of the Open Republic association that fights antisemitism and xenophobia. “I consider the Kraków’s police spokesman’s answer ridiculous,” she said. However, she said it did not surprise her. “When the law is broken, we notify the prosecutor’s office. Unfortunately, all too often, here too we do not get support. Sometimes the reactions of prosecutors raise eyebrows.” Ms Sawicka gave further examples of the way the Polish authorities treat antisemitism. “A Court in Opole discontinued proceedings against a law school graduate accused of profiting from fascist publications and gadgets, because a sentence would harm his legal career. The prosecutor’s office in Wroclaw allowed the publication of the Polish translation of Mein Kampf, accepting the explanation of the publisher that selling the book served a ‘scientific purpose’. The slogan ‘we will chase the Jews out of Poland’ was not considered incitement because it did not use the form ‘let’s’. And a swastika was allowed because it was characterised as an ancient Indian symbol.”
Rafal Pankowski, from the Polish anti-racism organisation Never again, agrees that the Polish authorities have still a long way to go in the fight against antisemitism. “The authorities have made some good efforts to prosecute hate crime in the last years, but they have often been half-baked. A much more thorough and concerted effort is needed. In many cases, the perpetrators go unpunished. We think the Polish legal provisions are more or less satisfactory. The problem has been the implementation of these provisions, which is often disappointing.”
Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:59:28 +0000Nissan Tzur131394 at http://www.thejc.comPolish Holocaust movie wins Baftahttp://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/129728/polish-holocaust-movie-wins-bafta
<p>A Polish film about a young nun who finds out her parents were Jews killed in the Holocaust has won a Bafta award.</p>
<p>Ida won Best Foreign Language Film at the ceremony at the Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House on Sunday night, making it three wins for director Pawel Pawlikowski.</p>
<p>Mr Pawlikowski, who previously took honours for Last Resort and My Summer of Love, said: “I think we should just forget the formalities and award me a global lifetime achievement award.”</p>
<p>The Oscar-nominated film centres on Anna, an orphaned nun played by newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska.</p>
<p>Just before taking her vows at a convent in 1960s Poland, Anna is told by her last relative that she is Jewish, and her real name is Ida. She responds to this revelation by embarking on a journey to find out the truth about her family.</p>
<p>Veteran director Mike Leigh also emerged triumphant from the night, winning the most prestigious Bafta award despite his film Mr Turner missing out in four categories.</p>
<p>Mr Leigh, 71, received the Fellowship award for a lifetime of directing films such as the 1996 Oscar nominee Secrets &amp; Lies, as well as last year’s biopic on artist William Turner.</p>
<p>The director, who was overlooked for a best director nomination this year, said he felt lucky to finally appear on the Baftas stage.</p>
<p>“I know some people expect me to be rude this evening. Wel,l sorry folks, you're in for a disappointment. We got four nominations tonight, and you Bafta are a democratic gang and your taste is your prerogative.</p>
<p>“What is important to me is that you have awarded me this Fellowship for which I am truly grateful.”</p>
<p>Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Leigh added: “It’s a tremendous honour. When you’ve been slaving away for a million years, it’s great”.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, at the Grammy music awards, presented in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jess Glynne won Best Dance Recording with the dance act Clean Bandit, for the song Rather Be.</p>
<p>She tweeted: “I just won a Grammy. Thank you so much for making this happen!”</p>UK newsAwards and prizesPolandFilm129728storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/Ida_0.jpg

128294Polish Holocaust movie nominated for Oscar125299UK Jewish Film Festival opens with gala on London’s Southbank
A Polish film about a young nun who finds out her parents were Jews killed in the Holocaust has won a Bafta award.
Ida won Best Foreign Language Film at the ceremony at the Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House on Sunday night, making it three wins for director Pawel Pawlikowski.
Mr Pawlikowski, who previously took honours for Last Resort and My Summer of Love, said: “I think we should just forget the formalities and award me a global lifetime achievement award.”
The Oscar-nominated film centres on Anna, an orphaned nun played by newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska.
Just before taking her vows at a convent in 1960s Poland, Anna is told by her last relative that she is Jewish, and her real name is Ida. She responds to this revelation by embarking on a journey to find out the truth about her family.
Veteran director Mike Leigh also emerged triumphant from the night, winning the most prestigious Bafta award despite his film Mr Turner missing out in four categories.
Mr Leigh, 71, received the Fellowship award for a lifetime of directing films such as the 1996 Oscar nominee Secrets &amp; Lies, as well as last year’s biopic on artist William Turner.
The director, who was overlooked for a best director nomination this year, said he felt lucky to finally appear on the Baftas stage.
“I know some people expect me to be rude this evening. Wel,l sorry folks, you're in for a disappointment. We got four nominations tonight, and you Bafta are a democratic gang and your taste is your prerogative.
“What is important to me is that you have awarded me this Fellowship for which I am truly grateful.”
Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Leigh added: “It’s a tremendous honour. When you’ve been slaving away for a million years, it’s great”.
Meanwhile, at the Grammy music awards, presented in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jess Glynne won Best Dance Recording with the dance act Clean Bandit, for the song Rather Be.
She tweeted: “I just won a Grammy. Thank you so much for making this happen!”
Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:31:32 +0000Josh Jackman129728 at http://www.thejc.comPolish Holocaust movie nominated for Oscarhttp://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/128294/polish-holocaust-movie-nominated-oscar
<p>A Polish film about a young nun who finds out her parents were Jews killed in the Holocaust has been nominated for an Academy Award.</p>
<p>Ida will compete with four other nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film award at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on February 22.</p>
<p>Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, the film centres on Anna, an orphaned nun played by newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska.</p>
<p>Just before taking her vows at a convent in 1960s Poland, Anna is told by her last relative that she is Jewish, and her real name is Ida. She responds to this revelation by embarking on a journey to find out the truth about her family.</p>
<p>Also nominated for the award is Leviathan, a Russian film about corruption which won best film at the London film festival, and Tangerines, about Estonian tangerine farmers who refuse to leave despite the war raging around them.</p>
<p>Completing the shortlist are Timbuktu, a depiction of Islamist influence on the Malian city, and Wild Tales, a black comedy that takes audiences through a series of stories in Argentina.</p>World newsThe HolocaustFilmPoland128294storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/Ida.jpg

Ida won Best Film at the European Film Awards

117172Glitzy night out at the UJS 'Oscars'128279Testament of the Rakusen's matzah boy who's made a cracker of a film
A Polish film about a young nun who finds out her parents were Jews killed in the Holocaust has been nominated for an Academy Award.
Ida will compete with four other nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film award at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on February 22.
Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, the film centres on Anna, an orphaned nun played by newcomer Agata Trzebuchowska.
Just before taking her vows at a convent in 1960s Poland, Anna is told by her last relative that she is Jewish, and her real name is Ida. She responds to this revelation by embarking on a journey to find out the truth about her family.
Also nominated for the award is Leviathan, a Russian film about corruption which won best film at the London film festival, and Tangerines, about Estonian tangerine farmers who refuse to leave despite the war raging around them.
Completing the shortlist are Timbuktu, a depiction of Islamist influence on the Malian city, and Wild Tales, a black comedy that takes audiences through a series of stories in Argentina.
Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:11:08 +0000Josh Jackman128294 at http://www.thejc.comPutin will not attend Auschwitz memorial ceremony http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/128152/putin-will-not-attend-auschwitz-memorial-ceremony
<p>Vladimir Putin will not be attending a Holocaust memorial event in Auschwitz, Poland later this month, the Russian government has confirmed. </p>
<p>A Kremlin spokesperson said on Tuesday that the president will be absent from the ceremony, which will take place on January 27 at the site of the death camp to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation and the end of the Holocaust, because he has not been invited. </p>
<p>But according to Pawel Sawicki, chief spokesperson for the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, no formal invitations were sent out to any political leaders.</p>
<p>“What we did was send notice to the embassies of all European Union nations as well as to the countries that have contributed to the museum, which includes Russia, asking how many people they would be sending and who would be the head of their delegation,” he said.</p>
<p>News of Mr Putin’s absence highlights the ongoing tension between Russia and the West over the continued conflict in Ukraine, especially since it was Soviet troops who liberated Auschwitz in 1945. Mr Putin attended the 60th anniversary of the camp’s liberation 10 years ago. </p>
<p>But Poland has been particularly critical of Russia’s expansion into Ukraine, and has called on foreign leaders to issue more sanctions against Mr Putin’s government. </p>
<p>More than 3,000 people will travel to Auschwitz later this month, including 300 survivors and dozens of foreign leaders and royal family members. Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will open the ceremony. </p>World newsRussiaPoland128152storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/Putin.jpg

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Wikipedia)

127815Councillor apologises for Auschwitz image tweet126869Former Auschwitz guard to stand trial for murder of 300,000
Vladimir Putin will not be attending a Holocaust memorial event in Auschwitz, Poland later this month, the Russian government has confirmed.
A Kremlin spokesperson said on Tuesday that the president will be absent from the ceremony, which will take place on January 27 at the site of the death camp to mark the 70th anniversary of its liberation and the end of the Holocaust, because he has not been invited.
But according to Pawel Sawicki, chief spokesperson for the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, no formal invitations were sent out to any political leaders.
“What we did was send notice to the embassies of all European Union nations as well as to the countries that have contributed to the museum, which includes Russia, asking how many people they would be sending and who would be the head of their delegation,” he said.
News of Mr Putin’s absence highlights the ongoing tension between Russia and the West over the continued conflict in Ukraine, especially since it was Soviet troops who liberated Auschwitz in 1945. Mr Putin attended the 60th anniversary of the camp’s liberation 10 years ago.
But Poland has been particularly critical of Russia’s expansion into Ukraine, and has called on foreign leaders to issue more sanctions against Mr Putin’s government.
More than 3,000 people will travel to Auschwitz later this month, including 300 survivors and dozens of foreign leaders and royal family members. Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will open the ceremony.
Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:42:34 +0000Charlotte Oliver128152 at http://www.thejc.com'Jew' was a swear word in Lublin. Now we ﬁght to tell truth about this cityhttp://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/126898/jew-was-a-swear-word-lublin-now-we-%EF%AC%81ght-tell-truth-about-city
<p>When Polish tour guide Magdalena Pokrzycka-Walczak arrived at work one day in 2012, she was shocked to be told of a complaint against her.</p>
<p>"Two Polish women on one of my tours claimed that I focused too much on the Jewish history of Lublin," says Ms Pokrzycka. "They told my boss to watch out for me because I was probably a Jew."</p>
<p>Widespread antisemitism continues to exist in Poland, and Poles who try to educate others can be the butt of it. So what motivates non-Jews such as Ms Pokrzycka to devote their lives to raising awareness?</p>
<p>At school during the Communist era, when Jewish history was suppressed, Ms Pokrzycka thought the term "Jew" was a swear word describing "a bad person". Later, as a guide, she refused to believe a Jewish community had existed in Lublin. "I would argue about it, insisting it was impossible."</p>
<p>This changed in 1994 when Ms Pokrzycka accompanied two Orthodox Jews to the Jewish cemetery in Lublin, as their guide. "I hadn't known about the cemetery. It was dark and cold and the men prayed at a tomb - it was the most beautiful moment, really haunting. I had an immense emotional reaction from the heart."</p>
<p>Ms Pokrzycka's attitude towards Jewish history altered. "What happened in the cemetery was a revelation. I became hungry for information, I wanted to know about the Jews."</p>
<p>Ms Pokrzycka now specialises in Jewish history and is one of Lublin's leading authorities, writing about Judaism, leading tours and helping Jews search for information.</p>
<p>Her voice trembles with anger at the history withheld from her and the antisemitism she sees. "The problem is ignorance," she explains.</p>
<p>She describes the Majdanek concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin. "People think it's a pleasant place to go at weekends," she says. "I can't believe it. I've had Poles shout at me on tours when I tell the truth."</p>
<p>There are others like Ms Pokrzycka in Lublin. Witek Dabrowski, deputy director at the Grodzka Gate Theatre NN centre, spends his days reconstructing Lublin's Jewish history. In 1990, he and co-founder Tomasz Pietrasiewicz set out to establish a theatre at the gate. When they discovered that it originally linked the city's Jewish and Christian areas and that the huge empty space on one side had once been a bustling Jewish district, their plans shifted.</p>
<p>"We were astonished to discover this fact about the gate and we knew we could not use the building without acknowledging it," says Mr Dabrowski, who has now learnt Yiddish. "We discovered theatres, newspapers, schools; a bright, busy community. We realised that our culture is full of Jewish references and Yiddish words. It was exciting and incredibly sad."</p>
<p>Theatre NN now employs 50 people and receives funding from the Lublin municipality to teach this history. It goes into schools, runs exhibitions and has assembled a vast body of information, including many first hand accounts of Jewish Lublin.</p>
<p>Mr Pietrasiewicz has been the target of violent antisemitic attacks because of his work. However, Mr Dabrowski insists that neither of them would change what they do. "This is much more than a job for me," he says. "It's a passion."</p>World newsPolandAntisemitism126898story&#039;Jew&#039; was a swear word here. Now we ﬁght to tell truth about this cityhttp://www.thejc.com/files/images/18122014-800px-Brama-grodzka-lbn[1].jpg

The &quot;Jewish Gate&quot; theatre

When Polish tour guide Magdalena Pokrzycka-Walczak arrived at work one day in 2012, she was shocked to be told of a complaint against her.
"Two Polish women on one of my tours claimed that I focused too much on the Jewish history of Lublin," says Ms Pokrzycka. "They told my boss to watch out for me because I was probably a Jew."
Widespread antisemitism continues to exist in Poland, and Poles who try to educate others can be the butt of it. So what motivates non-Jews such as Ms Pokrzycka to devote their lives to raising awareness?
At school during the Communist era, when Jewish history was suppressed, Ms Pokrzycka thought the term "Jew" was a swear word describing "a bad person". Later, as a guide, she refused to believe a Jewish community had existed in Lublin. "I would argue about it, insisting it was impossible."
This changed in 1994 when Ms Pokrzycka accompanied two Orthodox Jews to the Jewish cemetery in Lublin, as their guide. "I hadn't known about the cemetery. It was dark and cold and the men prayed at a tomb - it was the most beautiful moment, really haunting. I had an immense emotional reaction from the heart."
Ms Pokrzycka's attitude towards Jewish history altered. "What happened in the cemetery was a revelation. I became hungry for information, I wanted to know about the Jews."
Ms Pokrzycka now specialises in Jewish history and is one of Lublin's leading authorities, writing about Judaism, leading tours and helping Jews search for information.
Her voice trembles with anger at the history withheld from her and the antisemitism she sees. "The problem is ignorance," she explains.
She describes the Majdanek concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin. "People think it's a pleasant place to go at weekends," she says. "I can't believe it. I've had Poles shout at me on tours when I tell the truth."
There are others like Ms Pokrzycka in Lublin. Witek Dabrowski, deputy director at the Grodzka Gate Theatre NN centre, spends his days reconstructing Lublin's Jewish history. In 1990, he and co-founder Tomasz Pietrasiewicz set out to establish a theatre at the gate. When they discovered that it originally linked the city's Jewish and Christian areas and that the huge empty space on one side had once been a bustling Jewish district, their plans shifted.
"We were astonished to discover this fact about the gate and we knew we could not use the building without acknowledging it," says Mr Dabrowski, who has now learnt Yiddish. "We discovered theatres, newspapers, schools; a bright, busy community. We realised that our culture is full of Jewish references and Yiddish words. It was exciting and incredibly sad."
Theatre NN now employs 50 people and receives funding from the Lublin municipality to teach this history. It goes into schools, runs exhibitions and has assembled a vast body of information, including many first hand accounts of Jewish Lublin.
Mr Pietrasiewicz has been the target of violent antisemitic attacks because of his work. However, Mr Dabrowski insists that neither of them would change what they do. "This is much more than a job for me," he says. "It's a passion."
Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:09:30 +0000Isabel De Bertodano126898 at http://www.thejc.comPolish court rules shechita ban is ‘against human rights’http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/126593/polish-court-rules-shechita-ban-against-human-rights%E2%80%99
<p>The was relief across Europe this week as Poland’s constitutional court ruled that the country’s ban on shechita ran against both the country’s basic laws and the European Convention on Human Rights. </p>
<p>Organisations including the Rabbinical Council of Europe, the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) and Shechita UK have been petitioning the government since a ruling by the Polish constitutional court in 2013 effectively outlawed kosher slaughter.</p>
<p>According to local reports, the court decided that the ban violated the European Convention on Human Rights and led to “discrimination in social and economic life of Jews in Poland”.</p>
<p>Around one third of kosher meat in the UK is sourced from Poland.</p>
<p>Commenting on the precedent set by the ruling, Dayan Yisroel Lichtenstein, head of the Federation Beth Din, said: “This decision is as important as the American Supreme Court ruling that shechita is humane and that banning it violates human rights”.</p>
<p>Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the CER, said: “We are extremely pleased that shechita can continue in Poland as it has done for generations… The repercussions of this ban would have had a far reaching impact across Europe. Poland has today set a precedent for other countries on matters of religious freedom.”</p>
<p>Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said: “This has been a long and difficult campaign and I would to pay tribute to the justices for reaching a fair and welcome decision. </p>
<p>“I would also like to pay tribute to the leadership of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland for their steadfastness in addressing this issue, and we are grateful for the invaluable support of the Conference of European Rabbis and Shechita UK.”</p>World newsPolandshechita126593storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/chicken_3.jpg

125231No move to ban shechita, MP promises123641'Poisonous' Belgian far-right party uses abattoir regulation to urge shechita ban
The was relief across Europe this week as Poland’s constitutional court ruled that the country’s ban on shechita ran against both the country’s basic laws and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Organisations including the Rabbinical Council of Europe, the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) and Shechita UK have been petitioning the government since a ruling by the Polish constitutional court in 2013 effectively outlawed kosher slaughter.
According to local reports, the court decided that the ban violated the European Convention on Human Rights and led to “discrimination in social and economic life of Jews in Poland”.
Around one third of kosher meat in the UK is sourced from Poland.
Commenting on the precedent set by the ruling, Dayan Yisroel Lichtenstein, head of the Federation Beth Din, said: “This decision is as important as the American Supreme Court ruling that shechita is humane and that banning it violates human rights”.
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the CER, said: “We are extremely pleased that shechita can continue in Poland as it has done for generations… The repercussions of this ban would have had a far reaching impact across Europe. Poland has today set a precedent for other countries on matters of religious freedom.”
Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said: “This has been a long and difficult campaign and I would to pay tribute to the justices for reaching a fair and welcome decision.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the leadership of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland for their steadfastness in addressing this issue, and we are grateful for the invaluable support of the Conference of European Rabbis and Shechita UK.”
Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:15:45 +0000Orlando Radice126593 at http://www.thejc.comDavid Cameron 'filled with grief' for Holocaust victims on visit to Auschwitzhttp://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/126585/david-cameron-filled-grief-holocaust-victims-visit-auschwitz
<p>David Cameron lit a candle in memory of six million victims of the Holocaust on a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland today. </p>
<p>It was his first visit to the camp as prime minister.</p>
<p>Mr Cameron was accompanied by Jewish Leadership Council head Mick Davis, who is chair of the Holocaust Commission set up by Mr Cameron this year.</p>
<p>The pair walked around the site where one million people were killed, 90 per cent of whom were Jews. </p>
<p>The Prime Minister was met by museum director Piotr Cywinski. At Birkenau he placed a candle on the UK stone of the memorial. </p>
<p>Mr Cameron wrote in the visitors' book: "I wanted to come and see for myself this place where the darkest chapter of human history happened. </p>
<p>"Words cannot describe the horror that took place - making it even more important that we never forget. As Elie Wiesel said, failing to remember those who were murdered would be akin to killing them all over again. </p>
<p>"The survivors have done so much to tell us about what took place. Today they are becoming fewer in number so I hope the Holocaust Commission we have established will teach future generations what took place - and that we must never forget all those who were murdered here and at other camps and at other places. We must always remember what happened." </p>
<p>In a statement following the visit, Mr Cameron said: "I wanted to come here to see for myself the place where over one million people, the vast majority from Europe's Jewish communities, lost their lives at the hands of the murderous Nazi regime. And I wanted to better understand what they went through and to underline the importance of educating future generations about the Holocaust.</p>
<p>"While I have talked to many Holocaust survivors about their experiences before, coming here has really brought home the terror and torture they faced. As I walked round the gas chamber, past the children's shoes and down the railway tracks, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of grief for all those who were killed simply because of their faith, their beliefs or their ethnicity.</p>
<p>"It has reinforced for me the importance of the work our Holocaust Commission is doing to ensure we educate future generations so that they never have to witness such genocide. Next month, as we mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Holocaust Commission will set out their proposals. Like the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, the focus must be on remembrance, preservation and education.</p>
<p>"It is also a reminder of why the UK must fight against prejudice, persecution, anti-semitism and tyranny wherever we find it and stand up for inclusiveness, tolerance and peace."</p>
<p>Mr Cameron had said he wished to visit the concentration camp ahead of the 70th anniversary of the camp’s liberation next year. </p>
<p>The visit comes after the he vowed to fight the rise in antisemitism in the UK at Norwood charity’s annual dinner last month. </p>
<p>Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: "With the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of the Holocaust next year, this visit is fitting and timely."</p>UK newsPolandThe HolocaustDavid Cameron126585storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/Cameron.jpg

UK Prime Minister David Cameron in Poland

125792Cameron helps Norwood to raise a record £3.6m115776David Cameron seeks young Shoah educator for commission
David Cameron lit a candle in memory of six million victims of the Holocaust on a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland today.
It was his first visit to the camp as prime minister.
Mr Cameron was accompanied by Jewish Leadership Council head Mick Davis, who is chair of the Holocaust Commission set up by Mr Cameron this year.
The pair walked around the site where one million people were killed, 90 per cent of whom were Jews.
The Prime Minister was met by museum director Piotr Cywinski. At Birkenau he placed a candle on the UK stone of the memorial.
Mr Cameron wrote in the visitors' book: "I wanted to come and see for myself this place where the darkest chapter of human history happened.
"Words cannot describe the horror that took place - making it even more important that we never forget. As Elie Wiesel said, failing to remember those who were murdered would be akin to killing them all over again.
"The survivors have done so much to tell us about what took place. Today they are becoming fewer in number so I hope the Holocaust Commission we have established will teach future generations what took place - and that we must never forget all those who were murdered here and at other camps and at other places. We must always remember what happened."
In a statement following the visit, Mr Cameron said: "I wanted to come here to see for myself the place where over one million people, the vast majority from Europe's Jewish communities, lost their lives at the hands of the murderous Nazi regime. And I wanted to better understand what they went through and to underline the importance of educating future generations about the Holocaust.
"While I have talked to many Holocaust survivors about their experiences before, coming here has really brought home the terror and torture they faced. As I walked round the gas chamber, past the children's shoes and down the railway tracks, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of grief for all those who were killed simply because of their faith, their beliefs or their ethnicity.
"It has reinforced for me the importance of the work our Holocaust Commission is doing to ensure we educate future generations so that they never have to witness such genocide. Next month, as we mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Holocaust Commission will set out their proposals. Like the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, the focus must be on remembrance, preservation and education.
"It is also a reminder of why the UK must fight against prejudice, persecution, anti-semitism and tyranny wherever we find it and stand up for inclusiveness, tolerance and peace."
Mr Cameron had said he wished to visit the concentration camp ahead of the 70th anniversary of the camp’s liberation next year.
The visit comes after the he vowed to fight the rise in antisemitism in the UK at Norwood charity’s annual dinner last month.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: "With the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of the Holocaust next year, this visit is fitting and timely."
Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:11:40 +0000Sandy Rashty126585 at http://www.thejc.comPoland's mantelpiece Jewshttp://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/126322/polands-mantelpiece-jews
<p>Some people have porcelain cats on their mantelpieces; others have ceramic Buddhas. In Poland, people have small statues of Jews.</p>
<p>The wooden or clay figurines (above, a selection), found in markets across the country, generally feature thin men with long faces and large noses. </p>
<p>Some wear Chasidic clothing, others play music or walk the dog. More controversially, there are Jews piggybacking on the devil, and others holding coins.</p>
<p>Opinions vary over what the figurines represent. For Dr Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, some demonstrate Polish superstition regarding Jews.</p>
<p>"They are sold in huge numbers outside football matches and people buy them to bring luck to their side," he said. "But if their team loses, then the Jews are blamed."</p>
<p>Dr Samuels described the figurines as caricatures that persist as Poland's "phantom limb syndrome… A limb has been amputated but the body still wants to scratch, in this case, the missing Jews.</p>
<p>"The automatic clientele for figurines of stereotypical Jews gripping silver coins is the tip of the iceberg. Below the waterline there are many problems which need to be worked on."</p>
<p>An American anthropologist who curated an exhibition of the figurines in Krakow said Jewish culture was deeply rooted in Polish consciousness.</p>
<p>Erica Lehrer said that the figurines represented many different stereotypes, as well as a desire to remember. "They embody some bits of historical memory of Jews as seen through their mostly peasant neighbours' eyes - but mixed with myth, sometimes nostalgia, and after the war, occasionally empathy."</p>
<p>Dr Lehrer, who works at Concordia University in Montreal, curated an exhibition, Souvenir, Talisman, Toy, at the Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Krakow last year, which has recently published its catalogue, Lucky Jews. "The figurines do suggest that Jews are seen by many Poles as much as mythological creatures as unique individuals," she said. "But folk art is also a difficult form for expressing individuality."</p>
<p>Dr Lehrer agreed that the figurines showing a Jew holding a coin drew on a long history of antisemitic imagery. "It's hard to cleanse the figurines of that no matter how positively some Poles say they intend this image to be. The idea of the moneyed Jew as a sinister character has deep roots in the Christian world."</p>
<p>Though the figurines can be traced to the era before the Second World War, when 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland, they became particularly popular after the fall of Communism. There are now around 20,000 Jews living in the country.</p>
<p>"Poland is making incredibly significant progress in embracing and working through its Jewish history and heritage," said Dr Lehrer.</p>
<p>"Young people in particular are doing amazing cultural projects that recognise Jewishness as part of their own inheritance."</p>World newsPoland126322storyhttp://www.thejc.com/files/images/04122014-chasids.jpg

Some people have porcelain cats on their mantelpieces; others have ceramic Buddhas. In Poland, people have small statues of Jews.
The wooden or clay figurines (above, a selection), found in markets across the country, generally feature thin men with long faces and large noses.
Some wear Chasidic clothing, others play music or walk the dog. More controversially, there are Jews piggybacking on the devil, and others holding coins.
Opinions vary over what the figurines represent. For Dr Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, some demonstrate Polish superstition regarding Jews.
"They are sold in huge numbers outside football matches and people buy them to bring luck to their side," he said. "But if their team loses, then the Jews are blamed."
Dr Samuels described the figurines as caricatures that persist as Poland's "phantom limb syndrome… A limb has been amputated but the body still wants to scratch, in this case, the missing Jews.
"The automatic clientele for figurines of stereotypical Jews gripping silver coins is the tip of the iceberg. Below the waterline there are many problems which need to be worked on."
An American anthropologist who curated an exhibition of the figurines in Krakow said Jewish culture was deeply rooted in Polish consciousness.
Erica Lehrer said that the figurines represented many different stereotypes, as well as a desire to remember. "They embody some bits of historical memory of Jews as seen through their mostly peasant neighbours' eyes - but mixed with myth, sometimes nostalgia, and after the war, occasionally empathy."
Dr Lehrer, who works at Concordia University in Montreal, curated an exhibition, Souvenir, Talisman, Toy, at the Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Krakow last year, which has recently published its catalogue, Lucky Jews. "The figurines do suggest that Jews are seen by many Poles as much as mythological creatures as unique individuals," she said. "But folk art is also a difficult form for expressing individuality."
Dr Lehrer agreed that the figurines showing a Jew holding a coin drew on a long history of antisemitic imagery. "It's hard to cleanse the figurines of that no matter how positively some Poles say they intend this image to be. The idea of the moneyed Jew as a sinister character has deep roots in the Christian world."
Though the figurines can be traced to the era before the Second World War, when 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland, they became particularly popular after the fall of Communism. There are now around 20,000 Jews living in the country.
"Poland is making incredibly significant progress in embracing and working through its Jewish history and heritage," said Dr Lehrer.
"Young people in particular are doing amazing cultural projects that recognise Jewishness as part of their own inheritance."
Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:26:36 +0000Isabel De Bertodano126322 at http://www.thejc.comPolls expose wide-scale hate in Poland, Germanyhttp://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/126024/polls-expose-wide-scale-hate-poland-germany
<p>Two surveys conducted in Germany and Poland - one on attitudes to online hate speech and the other on Israel's actions during the recent Gaza conflict - have revealed shockingly high levels of antisemitism.</p>
<p>In a survey conducted in Germany between June and September by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, one in four of those questioned equated Israel's policies towards Palestinians with the Nazis treatment of Jews during the Second World War. </p>
<p>The survey, conducted before and after Israel's war with Hamas, has previously shown a downward trend in German antisemitism over the past decade. </p>
<p>When respondents were asked in September if they believed Jews were partly responsible for their own persecution, 18 per cent agreed, up from less than eight per cent in June.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in Poland, the researcher behind a survey into online antisemitism presented to the Polish parliament earlier this month has said he was "deeply disturbed" by its results.</p>
<p>Dr Michal Bilewicz of the Centre for Research on Prejudice of University of Warsaw asked 653 young Poles and 1007 adults whether it was reasonable to make the following statement in public: "Jews must realise that they made Poles hate them through their treason and their crimes. Today, they try to hide their crimes and shift the blame."</p>
<p>The survey found that nearly 19 per cent of adults and 21 per cent of young people agreed with the expression of statement.</p>
<p>Dr Bilewicz also found that 60 per cent of young Poles were exposed to wide-scale antisemitism on the internet.</p>
<p>He said about the result: "When we presented this data to parliament, Polish MPs, as well as Vice-Minister of Education Joanna Berdzik, said that there should be new measures to boost anti-racism education, and new legal remedies should be introduced."</p>
<p>In another result, 10 per cent of the youngsters surveyed and 10 per cent of the adults approved of the following statement: "As for kikes, hostility towards them is the result of the actions of these lice [Jews]". Around 80 per cent of young people and 78 per cent of the adults rejected the statement. </p>
<p>Jonathan Ornstein, director of the Krakow's Jewish Community Centre, said: "The poll results run counter to my experience of living as a Jew in Poland for the last 13 years as well as the experience of the Polish Jews I know."</p>World newsGermanyPolandAntisemitism126024story

Two surveys conducted in Germany and Poland - one on attitudes to online hate speech and the other on Israel's actions during the recent Gaza conflict - have revealed shockingly high levels of antisemitism.
In a survey conducted in Germany between June and September by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, one in four of those questioned equated Israel's policies towards Palestinians with the Nazis treatment of Jews during the Second World War.
The survey, conducted before and after Israel's war with Hamas, has previously shown a downward trend in German antisemitism over the past decade.
When respondents were asked in September if they believed Jews were partly responsible for their own persecution, 18 per cent agreed, up from less than eight per cent in June.
Meanwhile, in Poland, the researcher behind a survey into online antisemitism presented to the Polish parliament earlier this month has said he was "deeply disturbed" by its results.
Dr Michal Bilewicz of the Centre for Research on Prejudice of University of Warsaw asked 653 young Poles and 1007 adults whether it was reasonable to make the following statement in public: "Jews must realise that they made Poles hate them through their treason and their crimes. Today, they try to hide their crimes and shift the blame."
The survey found that nearly 19 per cent of adults and 21 per cent of young people agreed with the expression of statement.
Dr Bilewicz also found that 60 per cent of young Poles were exposed to wide-scale antisemitism on the internet.
He said about the result: "When we presented this data to parliament, Polish MPs, as well as Vice-Minister of Education Joanna Berdzik, said that there should be new measures to boost anti-racism education, and new legal remedies should be introduced."
In another result, 10 per cent of the youngsters surveyed and 10 per cent of the adults approved of the following statement: "As for kikes, hostility towards them is the result of the actions of these lice [Jews]". Around 80 per cent of young people and 78 per cent of the adults rejected the statement.
Jonathan Ornstein, director of the Krakow's Jewish Community Centre, said: "The poll results run counter to my experience of living as a Jew in Poland for the last 13 years as well as the experience of the Polish Jews I know."
Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:19:27 +0000126024 at http://www.thejc.comThe shul that time forgothttp://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/125228/the-shul-time-forgot
<p>One night last week as I was walking through central Lublin with a group of Jews from London, an Orthodox rabbi among us was approached by an excited, middle aged man wearing a black hoodie.</p>
<p>Pawel Matraszek accosted the rabbi, speaking in German and then Yiddish. "I can't believe it, a real Jewish rabbi is here," he said. </p>
<p>What followed was an episode that starkly illustrated the strange poignancy of modern Poland for many Jews.</p>
<p>There is no rabbi in Lublin and only 40 Jews remain of a pre-war population that numbered over 40,000. So Mr Matraszek, a Polish Jew born in Lublin, was thrilled to meet Rabbi Mendel Lew and to find that he was accompanied by three other London rabbis, the president of the United Synagogue, myself and a couple of others.</p>
<p>Though it was nearly midnight and a sharp frost was settling, Mr Matraszek insisted that we see the shtiebel he visits almost daily as caretaker.</p>
<p>He led the somewhat nervous group through the streets to a gate in the wall on Lubartowska Street, which he unlocked. Down a dark, uneven alley was a door leading into Chewra Nosim - the only synagogue in the shadow of the former Jewish ghetto to have survived the Second World War.</p>
<p>Old furniture and tools were piled inside the front door. The staircase was lined with photos depicting post-war life for Jews - families celebrating festivals and children in school line-ups.</p>
<p>Upstairs, was a cramped meeting room with a piano and a scruffy kitchen. Mr Matraszek hurried through, clearing the way for us, tidying as he went, pointing out photos of his mother and talking eagerly through the interpreter accompanying the group.</p>
<p>"It is very exciting to be able to show the synagogue to you," he said. "We are trying to keep this place going for the Jews of Lublin and for future Jews. We meet here and hold Shabbat meals."</p>
<p>He then opened a door off the kitchen and led the way into the small synagogue itself. It was a cleanly painted, unembellished room, containing benches, bookshelves and a bimah, which looked like it was once a wardrobe.</p>
<p>On a table was a Torah scroll rotted through, but still protected under a velvet cloth. In a cabinet was a mezuzah, a menorah, a disintegrating tefillin and a tallit prayer shawl. On the wall was a photo of Meir Shapiro, founder of the famous Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva.</p>
<p>For years after the Second World War a group of Jewish survivors lived here. "It probably escaped destruction because it was on the very edge of the ghetto," said Mr Matraszek.</p>
<p>Later, they would come to meet and pray. According to the local history group, Theatre NN, the building was used as a synagogue until 1984 and a barmitzvah ceremony took place in the early 1990s.</p>
<p>"I came here regularly as a boy with my mother during Soviet times," said Mr Matraszek. "Jews used it as a place to discuss their experiences during the war and under Communism and to meet other Jews."</p>
<p>"I had no idea this was here – we all know about the Lublin Yeshiva, but this is something different, it feels alive and much loved," said Rabbi Mendel Lew, who leads the largest Orthodox community in Europe, at Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue. "I can feel the uncertainty, fear and despair that was experienced here after the war."</p>
<p>The group , who were on a trip to visit the new Jewish Museum in Warsaw, asked Mr Matraszek to join them in the Maariv evening prayer. It was clear that he was unaccustomed to praying in Hebrew, a legacy of the 40-year Soviet era when religious<br />
practice was discouraged.</p>World newssynagoguesPoland125228storyAt midnight on the edge of a Polish ghetto, a hooded stranger led four rabbis down a dark alley to show them something few knew existed.http://www.thejc.com/files/images/06112014-f112e0e79fe02a67ec59b0f7eec2e452[1].jpg

Preserved: the building in Lublin

125180Unease over 'shul museum'
One night last week as I was walking through central Lublin with a group of Jews from London, an Orthodox rabbi among us was approached by an excited, middle aged man wearing a black hoodie.
Pawel Matraszek accosted the rabbi, speaking in German and then Yiddish. "I can't believe it, a real Jewish rabbi is here," he said.
What followed was an episode that starkly illustrated the strange poignancy of modern Poland for many Jews.
There is no rabbi in Lublin and only 40 Jews remain of a pre-war population that numbered over 40,000. So Mr Matraszek, a Polish Jew born in Lublin, was thrilled to meet Rabbi Mendel Lew and to find that he was accompanied by three other London rabbis, the president of the United Synagogue, myself and a couple of others.
Though it was nearly midnight and a sharp frost was settling, Mr Matraszek insisted that we see the shtiebel he visits almost daily as caretaker.
He led the somewhat nervous group through the streets to a gate in the wall on Lubartowska Street, which he unlocked. Down a dark, uneven alley was a door leading into Chewra Nosim - the only synagogue in the shadow of the former Jewish ghetto to have survived the Second World War.
Old furniture and tools were piled inside the front door. The staircase was lined with photos depicting post-war life for Jews - families celebrating festivals and children in school line-ups.
Upstairs, was a cramped meeting room with a piano and a scruffy kitchen. Mr Matraszek hurried through, clearing the way for us, tidying as he went, pointing out photos of his mother and talking eagerly through the interpreter accompanying the group.
"It is very exciting to be able to show the synagogue to you," he said. "We are trying to keep this place going for the Jews of Lublin and for future Jews. We meet here and hold Shabbat meals."
He then opened a door off the kitchen and led the way into the small synagogue itself. It was a cleanly painted, unembellished room, containing benches, bookshelves and a bimah, which looked like it was once a wardrobe.
On a table was a Torah scroll rotted through, but still protected under a velvet cloth. In a cabinet was a mezuzah, a menorah, a disintegrating tefillin and a tallit prayer shawl. On the wall was a photo of Meir Shapiro, founder of the famous Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva.
For years after the Second World War a group of Jewish survivors lived here. "It probably escaped destruction because it was on the very edge of the ghetto," said Mr Matraszek.
Later, they would come to meet and pray. According to the local history group, Theatre NN, the building was used as a synagogue until 1984 and a barmitzvah ceremony took place in the early 1990s.
"I came here regularly as a boy with my mother during Soviet times," said Mr Matraszek. "Jews used it as a place to discuss their experiences during the war and under Communism and to meet other Jews."
"I had no idea this was here – we all know about the Lublin Yeshiva, but this is something different, it feels alive and much loved," said Rabbi Mendel Lew, who leads the largest Orthodox community in Europe, at Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue. "I can feel the uncertainty, fear and despair that was experienced here after the war."
The group , who were on a trip to visit the new Jewish Museum in Warsaw, asked Mr Matraszek to join them in the Maariv evening prayer. It was clear that he was unaccustomed to praying in Hebrew, a legacy of the 40-year Soviet era when religious
practice was discouraged.
Thu, 06 Nov 2014 11:34:33 +0000Isabel De Bertodano125228 at http://www.thejc.com